Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday, 12 June called on BRICS member nations to deepen collective action on empowering small and marginal farmers, ensuring global food security, and advancing sustainable agricultural development. Speaking at a two-day conference of BRICS agriculture ministers in Indore, Chouhan said coordinated efforts by the bloc could provide 'a new direction to global agriculture.'

Key Developments at the Indore Conference

The ministerial conference, hosted in Indore, brought together agriculture ministers from BRICS countries to address shared challenges in the sector. Chouhan framed the gathering as a critical platform for collectively tackling pressures faced by small and marginal farmers — including climate change, strain on natural resources, rising input costs, and volatility in agricultural markets.

He invoked the principle of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' — the ancient Indian concept of the world as one family — to underscore India's commitment to global agricultural cooperation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India's Agricultural Achievements

Chouhan presented a detailed account of India's agricultural progress to the assembled delegates. India's agriculture sector has recorded an average annual growth of nearly 4.5 per cent over the last decade, he said.

Total foodgrain production has reached approximately 376 million tonnes (MT), with wheat output alone touching close to 118 million tonnes. Horticulture production has crossed 378 million tonnes, while fish production has exceeded 19 million tonnes — reflecting broad-based growth across multiple allied sectors.

Chouhan also noted that India operates what he described as the world's largest food security programme, covering a very large section of the country's population.

The Small Farmer Question

A central theme of Chouhan's address was the structural importance of small and marginal farmers. Approximately 87 per cent of India's farming community falls into this category, he said, while around 43 per cent of India's total workforce is engaged in agriculture and allied sectors.

He argued that if small and marginal farmers become economically strong and technologically capable, the global food security architecture would itself become more resilient. Ensuring their welfare, he said, is not a domestic priority alone but a prerequisite for sustainable agricultural growth worldwide.

Why This Matters for BRICS

The call for BRICS agricultural solidarity comes at a time when global food systems face compounding stress — from erratic monsoons and extreme weather events to supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressure on farm inputs. Notably, BRICS nations collectively account for a significant share of the world's agricultural output and rural population, making coordinated policy a high-stakes endeavour.

This is the latest in a series of multilateral agricultural engagements India has led in recent years, reflecting a broader diplomatic push to position the country as a voice for the Global South on food and farming issues.

What Comes Next

The two-day conference is expected to produce a joint communiqué outlining areas of cooperation among BRICS agriculture ministers. Implementation of any agreed framework will depend on follow-through by individual member states, a perennial challenge in multilateral agricultural diplomacy.